United Kingdom – Biker & Bike – UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group – There is a bike theft epidemic happening in the UK’s larger cities that, outside of biking circles, is little known about.
That changed, on the 6th November 2016 when a group of 600-700 bikers converged at London’s iconic Ace Cafe, to ride, peacefully to Downing Street to hand in a petition.
The petition called for, amongst many other measures, an end to the policy of the police only allowing all but the most highly trained pursuit offers to follow and stop thieves on motorcycles, mainly higher-powered scooters, in criminal circumstances – No Chase Policy
The so-called ‘no chase’ policy means gangs are openly, in broad daylight, stealing motorbikes from parking bays, streets and even shopping centre car parks. They are doing it with impunity because they know the chances of being pursued by a police car driven by an authorised driver are practically non-existent. And, as dozens of YouTube videos prove, the general public are reluctant to step in and stop thieves – understandably as these people are using portable angle grinders to cut security chains off. Would you want to approach someone using one of those in anger?
Extremely worryingly, the thieves are no longer just targeting secured, stationary bikes.
There has been a surge in bike-jacking incidents, where a group of 3-4 gang bikes will surround a lone biker and forcibly take the bike from them. It’s far less risky for the thieves than having to spend 2 minutes cutting through chains and disc locks, and the get the keys too.
Sadly, one of the most popular pages on the Biker & Bike website is – What to do if you’re bike-jacked
So London’s biking community decided enough was enough. An initiative started by the Motorcycle Action Group, MAG, was accelerated when a young guy, Emanuel Barb, just 17 year’s old, called for a protest ride and set up a Facebook Event.
At first, take up was slow. But Biker & Bike put a campaign call out on Facebook and, with gradual word-of-mouth, by the day itself, nearly 700 riders gathered at ‘The Ace’.
We don’t know how many bikers were there on the day because, the ride having been organised so quickly, nobody had been given the job of counting the riders. That’s no criticism of the organisers – if it weren’t for the sterling efforts of some very dedicated members of the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group, the ride would never have happened at all.
The day went extremely well. Riders were briefed by Mark, the owner of the Ace Cafe to respect each other and other road users, to keep to the speed limits and to hold off on wheelies and burnouts, before setting off into central London.
Much of the ride was on the elevated Westway dual carriageway, where only other road users were aware of the huge procession on bikes.
But once we hit the city streets proper, the noise and spectacle started to cause quite a stir. At every junction, people were staring open-mouthed, holding up camera phones, or in some cases, sticking their fingers in their ears (that many bikes make quite a nice in streets walled by all buildings).
As a marshal, I had to pull over at side streets and try and prevent cars from pushing into the parade. Overwhelmingly, the people who came up to me wondering about the volume of bikes were in support of the action. There was one cabbie who expressed otherwise, using quite fruity language, but I imagine that he was probably anti-biker anyway.
At Park Lane we gathered what had become, thanks to traffic lights etc. a number of groups back into a single mass of bikers, to head down to Downing Street.
After a few, mercifully short speeches and once the petition had been handed in, there was a decision to head to Parliament Square to do a few laps before heading off.
This rapidly turned the square into a bike park as a single traffic light, quite happily for all the bikers concerned, refused to let more than 10-12 bikes through at a time.
Parliament Square
It is the footage from this section of the ride that has had the most impact. Hundreds of mostly well-behaved bikes, blocking up the square (that has, for hundreds of years, served to be a place to vent the public’s concerns) made it onto the local TV news.
After an hour or so, point made, the protest began to disperse. Job done.
Not quite. This is going to be a long journey. Bike theft isn’t going to go away and Government policy is not turned around quickly, especially in the aftermath of high-profile cases involving the prosecution of police officers who carried out pursuits that, in one case led to the death of the scooter rider they were following.
There is another ride planned for early December (postponed until next year), again in London. If the numbers stay the same it will be a result, as the colder weather will inevitably deter some riders from turning out.
There is early talk too, of a national ride. But the organisation involved is a real challenge for the people who, volunteering their own time to organise events they’ve never been involved in before, also need to hold down the day job.
But the momentum has to carry on. The issue is too important. Too many bikers are riding in fear of being bike-jacked. Too many wonder if, when they return to the bike bay or garage, the bike will still be there.
If we continue to act, to protest at the situation, maybe something will get done.
© Ian Malone 2016, Biker & Bike
Information – UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group
Website – ukmtp.co.uk
Motorcycle Minds Comment
Bike theft has been an issue for many years with spikes in theft and tackling theft. This latest wave of hammer, knife wielding, acid spraying attacks by “feral gangs” moving from bolt cutters, to portable battery grinders to electronic bypass devices defeating theft secure systems, attacks in broad daylight seems to have left security providers, approval schemes, publicity from riders’ organisations, the Home Office and Police flatfooted in their size eleven boots.
With reports everyday on social media, riders are having to fend for themselves above added security and any reliance on the powers that be to defend its law abiding citizens.
Our thanks to “new” blog Biker & Bike for providing the article on the theft protest and the issues.
Video of protest plus bike-jacking attempt and violent robbery against non-biking citizens
Cutting an 80 quid padlock that has a spinning shackle…………..
Following on from the article about motorcycle theft and the UK Motorcycle Protest Group – a video posted on the group shows motorcycle thieves in broad day light in London – Soho Square apparently – trying to steal a motorcycle using a portable grinder – fortunately they where stopped and eventually fled after intervention by members of the public despite threats of violence with the grinder and a hammer.
The UK Motorcycle Theft Protest – Closed Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/ukmtp/
From us here at UK MTP, thank you for showing us support 🙂 Anyone wishing to raise concerns about the data we have used and the work we are doing, please contact me directly via the group, Thanks, Tanya
Ten years on and this “book” is just as valid as it was then.
The Fear Industry – pdf
The inference is that the Home Office’s latest report on vehicle theft is nothing more than a re-hash of the Situational Criminology stance which the Home Office has slavishly published over the last 15 years, mainly to give their old boss Ron Clarke’s right wing, neo-liberal stance on crime. This latest report published by the Home Office gives away nothing new.
Of interest – page 71 – Reducing criminal opportunity: vehicle security and vehicle crime – January 2016 – pdf
Regards the so-called rise of 41% in motorcycle theft in London – based on the Crime Survey England and Wales.
Really?
I wonder.
It’s a shame that much of this is just made up.
Motorcycle Minds – We disagree with your comment.
What did mag do?
Motorcycle Minds – The article simply says, “An initiative started by the Motorcycle Action Group, MAG, was accelerated when a young guy, Emanuel Barb, just 17 year’s old, called for a protest ride and set up a Facebook Event.” we believe that the Representative for MAG in London is involved with assisting the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group.
Where is it on their website?
Motorcycle Minds – You are quite right, the protest ride is neither on the MAG website or their social media we believe. The other rider’s group in the UK, the BMF has nothing regarding the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group. You will have to inquire about that to both these organisations.
Who paid for the leaflets?
Who marshalled the ride? Etc etc
Motorcycle Minds – We assume these are rhetorical questions!
Certainly there were mag members there but also greggs workers, is this a greggs against bike theft protest?
Motorcycle Minds – As previously said above the article simply made a small statement which gives full accreditation to the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group and how they then upped the anti to run the protest ride. Along with the rest of the article – four mentions of the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group – links to the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group Website/Facebook/Twitter – videos to the protest ride with titles UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group – so there is no doubt that the protest ride was by organised/marshaled/paid for by the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group
In fact the article states, “if it weren’t for the sterling efforts of some very dedicated members of the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group, the ride would never have happened at all.
The group is UKMTP.
Motorcycle Minds – Yes indeed it is and the article says nothing other than that.
Ran by UKMTP, doing protests for UKMTP
Motorcycle Minds – Indeed and the article was written by somebody who was a marshal on the day and whose blog continues to highlight the issue brought forward by UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group.
We have highlighted the UK Motorcycle Theft Protest Group – to the best of our ability with a truthful article.